North Gulfport Elementary and Middle

North Gulfport Elementary And Middle is a large K-8 school in Gulfport, MS, serving 921 students, nearly all of whom (99.35%) come from economically disadvantaged families.

The school is part of the Harrison County School District, a strong district ranked 15th out of 134 in Mississippi with a 4-star rating. However, North Gulfport is a clear outlier: it ranks 333 out of 377 schools statewide, placing it in the 12th percentile with a 1-star rating. Test scores tell a sobering story. In 3rd grade math, only 17.5% of students are proficient, compared to 58.8% districtwide and 48.8% statewide. Science is especially weak — 5th grade science proficiency is 35.7%, versus 82.3% for the district, a nearly 47-point gap. Even nearby schools with similar poverty levels do much better: Bel-Aire Elementary posts 72.4% proficiency in 5th grade science, and Crossroads Elementary reaches 74.1% in 6th grade math. Harrison Central Elementary, just 2.86 miles away in the same district, posts 3rd grade ELA proficiency of 73.1% versus North's 25.0%.

Chronic absenteeism is high at 28.8%, compared to the district rate of 21.1%, and scores have been volatile from year to year — 3rd grade math fell from 38.5% to 17.5% over two years. However, poverty and attendance don't fully explain the results. Bayou View Elementary, with 100% free/reduced lunch eligibility, ranks #1 in the state. North Gulfport's student-teacher ratio of 13.0 is lower than many higher-performing nearby schools, meaning class size isn't the core issue. The school likely needs targeted interventions in early math, science instruction, attendance, and instructional stability. The strong district support and favorable staffing ratio provide a foundation, but current trends are moving in the wrong direction.